The next morning, the sun rose over Emerald City like it was trying to cleanse the filth of the night before—but some stains ran too deep for sunlight to bleach.
Ochieng sat alone in a high-rise penthouse overlooking the river. The room was dim, curtains drawn, and his phone buzzed endlessly with calls he refused to answer. Across the table lay the shattered remains of a wine glass—thrown the moment Zara's voice played at the gala. The betrayal wasn't just painful—it was surgical. Planned. Cold.
Tesslyn sat on the velvet couch, legs crossed, watching him.
"You haven't said a word since we left," she finally broke the silence.
He didn't look at her. "What's there to say?"
"That your ex-girlfriend was a spy? That someone in this city wants to destroy you from every angle? That your cousin showed up like the devil at a wedding?"
He smirked faintly, bitterly. "It's not new. Just a different stage."
Tesslyn hesitated. "I need to show you something."
She pulled out her phone and tossed it onto the table, a video already playing. Ochieng leaned forward.
It was footage from a secret campus union meeting—the Circle of Light, a student-led organization rumored to have ties to elite families, hidden wealth, and secret admissions. A girl stood at the center of the video, arguing with a group of older men.
It was Elsa Mwende, 22. Fierce, curvy, and unapologetic, with golden skin and deep brown eyes, Elsa was one of the top students in AI Engineering. She was also the daughter of a feared political family from the South Coast—people whispered her mother had buried three husbands and built an empire from it. Elsa was intelligent, bold, and dangerously underestimated.
"She's trying to expose them," Tesslyn whispered. "They're using the campus as a test ground. For power experiments, political grooming, even psychological manipulation."
Ochieng frowned. "You're saying the Circle of Light isn't just a student group?"
Tesslyn nodded. "It's a training ground. For future billionaires. Future monsters."
And now they had taken interest in him.
Elsewhere in Emerald City…
Bianca Asher stood in her boutique office at Asher Heights, staring down at the street through floor-to-ceiling windows. Beside her was a man in a gray coat, face hidden beneath a hat.
"Marcus failed," she said without turning.
"He was never meant to succeed," the man replied. "Just to distract."
Bianca turned to him, a cruel smile playing on her crimson lips. "Good. Because the real target's still unguarded."
"Who?"
She smirked. "Ochieng's heart. Tesslyn."
Meanwhile…
Back at Emerald University, the campus was buzzing. The Winter Prom was just days away—a massive inter-university event held at a luxury resort in a nearby town called Moonlight Valley. Tickets were sold out. Dresses were being designed. Rumors were flying.
Especially after someone anonymously leaked the video of Ochieng's unmasking at the billionaire gala.
Girls whispered in excitement. Boys stared in disbelief. Some respected him now. Others plotted harder.
Among them was Denzel Omondi, 23, a competitive law student with model looks, a rich lawyer father, and a deadly grudge against Ochieng. Tall, light-skinned, with ocean-blue contacts and a deceptive smile, Denzel was the type of guy who could date your sister and destroy your future in the same week.
He watched the video in the law school lounge and scoffed. "He thinks removing a mask makes him king?"
His friend chuckled. "He's got money, looks, and now power. Girls want him. Guys want to be him."
Denzel's jaw tightened. "Not for long."
At the same time, in a luxurious estate across town…
Zara sat in her garden, tears in her eyes, watching the video replay on her phone again and again.
"I had no choice," she whispered to herself. "I had no choice…"
From the shadows, a woman approached.
Madame Isadora, 47. Elegant, terrifying, and known as the Ice Widow. She had trained spies for corporate takeovers for over two decades—and Zara had been her latest project.
"You let feelings get in the way," Isadora hissed, her voice as cold as her silver hair.
"I loved him."
"You were meant to end him."
Zara dropped the phone. "Then let me do it the right way this time."
Isadora narrowed her eyes. "You have one week. Before prom."
Back in the city…
Ochieng dressed in silence, his all-black attire matching his mood. Tesslyn walked in, wearing a crimson hoodie and black jeans.
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"To see Elsa."
"Why?"
"Because if the Circle of Light wants war, then they should know one thing—"
He turned to her, eyes burning with fury.
"I don't play fair."